>> There are to projects, one already launched and one bing prepared, similar >> to OSM, but both sponsored by big companies -one by Yandex (our Russian >> biggest search engine, could say local Google) the other - by on of the >> leading Russain navigation software companies. The do know very well that >> OSM is a threat to them! And they will use any chance to stop that threat. >> On letter to state authorities - and we will loose the possibility to >> legally use OSM. They can do nothing to OSM itself, but we are not in >> England, we are here, in Russia. >
Kirill, I think you would agree that they can *threaten* you, but they can't deliver actual case. Who they will sue? OSMF, which is foreign entity? You, who have provided data, again, to foreign entity? It is different if you plan to *publish* actual thing based on OSM data, which can include stuff you can't legally publish - then yes, you should be careful and apply filters as propitiate measure. But unless you don't publish top secret things, they really have no legal leverage here. It is just old fashioned Russian mob style threatening, which shouldn't be taken seriously, because mostly it is just hot air. It is just how people who wants monopoly on things in Russia deals with competition. So I suggest do following: 1) Get lawyer help. If *mapping* staff you can't map in Russia will get you in hot water - so be it, don't. You are not obligated to. But base this on legal analysis, not "someone said I should not to compete with them". Never follow rumors. Ever; 2) Also, the same comes when publishing data in a manner - printing official maps and selling them, etc. If you need to weed out stuff - filter it out and re-render it; As far as I know laws which inherits from old Soviet legal system, it is probably more connected with publishing actual map than providing data to OSM. Yes, openstreetmap.org may show things (and data set can contain things) which are forbidden to see in Russia, but, well, that's their problem. There are lot of interesting legal issues popped up with introduction of Internet. But somehow I really really doubt that Russia ever will be capable introducing working country-wise web filter and put OSM in it. Just my two kapeiki, your neighbor, Peter. _______________________________________________ talk mailing list talk@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk
